Educational Media Reviews Online

Dean Kamen recognizes that millions of people, mostly young children, die yearly due to consuming impure water. Kamen is an accomplished inventor holding hundreds of patents. Director Paul Lazarus lets Dean Kamen tell his story about his work ethic and philosophy on life. Science and the good of mankind is the foundation on which Kamen lives and directs his company, DEKA.

Known mostly for inventing the Segway personal vehicle, the movie frames Kamen as an inventor of amazing medical devices that bring technology to bear on solving big problems such as home dialysis and mobility for disabled veterans. Kamen’s zeal for science is revealed by his founding of FIRST, an organization dedicated to culture change in youth. The bulk of the movie describes Kamen’s journey from concept to production of his water purification machine called Slingshot, a name which is an allusion to the technology the biblical David used against his own giant problem, Goliath. Along the way we see that even an ostentatiously wealthy man faces challenges designing, producing and distributing a new product. Economists will find classic portrayals of opportunity cost in Kamen’s decision to not have children and his parent’s advice to slow down and take it easy.

Lazarus may have been swept away by Kamen, as the movie sometimes crosses the line becoming a promotional piece evangelizing Kamen and his Slingshot machine. We learn that Kamen expects to profit from his Slingshot machine and that he has partnered with Coca-Cola for distribution of the machines to hardship areas of the globe. What remains a mystery is what Kamen and Coca-Cola hope to eventually gain from this alliance. Nevertheless, the film touches on many aspects of life and is evidence that a strong foundation in science combined with a liberal education benefits all.

Award 3rd Place winner GE Focus Forward 2014 Filmmaker Competition